The invention relates generally to the field of electric motor control, and more particularly to the configuration of motor control centers (MCCs).
Many industrial and other environments make extensive use of electric motors of various types for driving loads. In modern industrial settings, many such motors may be driven, and their operation may be coordinated with one another and with a range of machine, process, material handling and other equipment, as well as with human operators. MCCs are commonly used to house the electrical components used to drive and control the motors, such as motor drives, circuit breakers, switchgear, relays, automation controllers, human interfaces, and so forth. In a typical application, many such components may be disposed in a single cabinet, and the cabinet may include one or more sections or bays where the components are disposed. Power and network wiring is routed to and from the bays to communicate power and data to and from the equipment.
Most MCCs are engineered systems in which the sections, bays, electrical components, and/or other supporting equipment are configured for a specific application, such as for a specific application within a particular industry. Further, the MCCs are then assembled to meet the requirements of that application. In many factories, for example, different types and ratings of motors are used for different loads, and the drive and control of the various motors may be affected by one or multiple MCCs designed to handle the particular needs of the loads. Historically, the design and layout of the various elements of the MCCs were designed by human selection and typically based on prior knowledge and expertise. Increasingly, however, tools have been adapted to facilitate the vast array of decisions that are made during the design and configuration process. In some cases, the information used for initial design and layout may be used for cost estimating, production management, component ordering, assembly, and commissioning.
There remains a need for improved tools for the design and configuration MCCs that will further improve and facilitate system design, component selection, customization, and initial programming. Furthermore, there remains a need for improved tools for the design and configuration of MCCs that will further improve and facilitate the estimation of manufacturing, shipping, handling, costs.